[Search for specific factors in culture media of embryos]

Mitogenic activity of culture media having contained either unfertilized or cleaved embryos have been studied. In these media human eggs have been cultured for one day, beginning 20 hours following in vitro insemination. B-lymphocyte proliferation was estimated by thymidine incorporation following 3 day culture in the presence of eggs or embryo culture media. No reproducible effect on B lymphocyte proliferation was observed. Therefore the viability of embryos could not be ascertained by the mitogenic activity of their culture media.